The Story of Colm's Youth
by JordyJoshua
Summary: The story of Colm's childhood. How did he meet Neimi and what happened to them...


Me, a scholar owning Fire Emblem? No. I don't think so.

His family was a poor one, so his mother had to sell her body and his father was made to join the army by the local lord. But then they still did not have enough money to buy enough food.

Once, his mother came home, crying, and went to bed.

"Colm, your father i.. i.. is dead." When she stopped crying, Colm went towards the bedroom, only to discover that his mother rammed a knife in her forehead. He ran away. He ran outside, through the streets, through the fields, through the forests. He kept running for hours and then suddenly fell on the ground, exhausted, and fainted.

When he woke up, he was in a little, but comfortable house, and there was a girl beside his bed.

"Mom! He opened his eyes!" she yelled. A door opened, and a woman came out.

"If I may ask, what is your name?" she asked.

"Colm," he said, "and, if I may ask, who are you two and what am I doing here?"

"Well," the girl said, "I am Neimi, and that is my mom, Charla. What were you doing there, and where are your parents, and..."

"Neimi, let that boy wake up. So, tell us, where do you live?"

"Actually, nowere. I used to live around Renais castle. And my parents, I don't know were they are. We were poor. My father joined the army and is dead by now. My mother, she... she had to sell her body so we could survive. When she discovered my father died, she committed suicide," tears came in colm's eyes, "but where am I?"

"you're in the town of Valna. You are safe now. We'll care for you and feed you. For free."

"Really? Do you want to do that for me?"

"Yes, of course. If we can help you with that."

"Of course you can help me. So... Can I have something to eat?"

"Sure, tell me what you want."

Colm got out of the bed he was laying in. "Do you have eggs? If you do, I'd like one."

This way Colm recovered, being loved and being cared for by these two people. After a year or so, he wanted to do something in return, but he didn't know what.

Once, when he took a fresh breath, he walked through the fields. He heard something, it sounded like some sort of rattling. He ran towards the sound when he saw a carriage with some rich people. When he walked closer, suddenly some masked man fall out of the trees and kill everyone they see. Colm ran for his life, behind him he heard the faith of the rich ones. When he came back to Valna he ran through the streets towards his house.

He opens the door and looks right into a mask. The same mask as the robbers in the forest wore. This guy was holding Charla a knife at her neck so she couldn't move.

Behind the masked man he saw Neimi, unnoticed by the masked guy, under the table, hiding. She slowly reached for her bow. To help her he hit the mask and tried to pull it off. While the masked man, with one hand holding Charla, with the other hand trying to hold his mask, was busy with him, Neimi had reached her bow. She picked an arrow, pulled the string, and released.

The arrow went right through the heart of the man and he fell down, dead. Strangely, Charla fell down to, seemingly dead. Neimi rushed towards her mom, reached for her shoulders, and shaked them. Charla's body shaked, but her head did not. Colm tried to move her head, but it didn't move. He pulled, and with a sickening sound her head came up, an arrow hole in the back of her head.

"I... I... I killed her...?!" Neimi screamed, crying, "I wanted to help her! O Colm, I just wanted to help! I wanted to help... What do I have to do now? Colm, what do I have to do? Please, help me! What should I do?"

At that moment he knew how to repay the favor. He would protect and care for Neimi. That is what Charla would want him to do.

"Don't panic," Colm said, "I'll care for you. I'll protect you. I'll get us food and clothes. That is the least I can do in return for everything you two did for me."

"Really? Are you sure? Oh Colm, thank you! Thank you!"

Colm helped Neimi get up and together they went outside, towards the wide and open world.


End file.
